Clifford
Enterprises Web Design and Video Interviews was
In the News, July 2003 as a Feature
Article in North Shore Surfer Magazine
(also
see The Daily Item News article October, 2003, regarding the North of
Boston Business and Professoinal Women of the Year Awarded to Annie
Clifford)
Websites
Up Close and Personal
Marblehead
firm's streaming video interviews personalize business portals
By
Hale McNulty
Annie
Clifford, owner of Clifford Enterprises Web Design in Marblehead,
didn't implement her idea for adding a streaming video interviews component
to her website design business overnight. It's been percolating a while.
She just had to wait until technology caught up with her concept.
"I
got a digital camera with a movie feature a couple years ago and that's
when I thought of the idea," explains Clifford. "Why not make
business websites more personal and add a video feature? People absorb
information in different ways and video could make the difference. The
technology wasn't there at first. Now, it's seamless.
Clifford
casts the service as ideal for companies looking to personalize
their website and give visitors a "message-from-the-president"
style
presentation in a short video. CEWD (www.cliffordenterprises.com) offers
on-site filming service via a customized, pre-designed interview format,
then edits and compresses the video, making it available in multiple
formats for Web streaming.
The
current available formats are QuickTime for MAC users and Windows Media
for PC users. Clifford plans to add Real Player shortly. Connections
are set up for dial-up modem speed and cable/DSL. CEWD provides clients'
in-house Webmasters with the links to be posted. Clifford also provides
a copy of the video on a CD-ROM for additional versatility.
"Users
don't want to have to figure out what application they need for their
system, they just want to double-click an icon, so we just direct them
accordingly," says Clifford. "This is really going to take
off because it allows owners to put their stamp on their site. It's
a fine line - nobody wants to view too much - but this downloads quickly
and we think it really helps pull people in."
Clifford
adds that the video component injects polish into any website with the
"cutting-edge difference." She believes streaming video enhances
a company's ability and facility to inform potential customers about
what products are available or gaining popularity and what's new. Music
soundtracks are an available option.
Clifford
notes the streaming video also is applicable for job-hunters.
"We
can stream it to a personal website showcasing your accomplishments,"
she says. "We'll also copy the video onto a CD-ROM so it can accompany
a resume submission."
Recently,
CEWD filmed the president of a company who had been contacted by Court
TV for a potential television production to enhance his audition chances.
In the course of setting up an account, Clifford meets with her clients
to strategize a plan for the video clip, keeping duration to no longer
than two minutes. She feels properly diagnosing a client's needs are
vital to generating a meaningful clip. Clifford also recommends using
client testimonials in video segments.
Clifford
worked at Wang Laboratories, first in Chicago and then in Lowell, for
10 years before starting up Clifford Enterprises, Inc. in 1989. Clifford
Enterprises, Inc. was established to provide small and medium-sized
companies with marketing materials such as logos, brochures, newsletters
and company stationary.
Several
years ago, Clifford changed the focus to designing websites for
companies in any industry as well as e-commerce sites, via CEWD. Other
services include site layout and design, redesigns and maintenance,
email newsletter design as well as logo designs.
Reprinted
with permission
North Shore Surfer ©2003
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